A reading from the Book of Isaiah
7:10-14; 8:10
The LORD spoke to Ahaz, saying:
Ask for a sign from the LORD, your God;
let it be deep as the nether world, or high as the sky!
But Ahaz answered,
“I will not ask! I will not tempt the LORD!”
Then Isaiah said:
Listen, O house of David!
Is it not enough for you to weary people,
must you also weary my God?
Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign:
the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son,
and shall name him Emmanuel,
which means “God is with us!”
A reading from the letter to the Hebrews
10:4-10
Brothers and sisters:
It is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats
take away sins.
For this reason, when Christ came into the world, he said:
“Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
but a body you prepared for me;
in holocausts and sin offerings you took no delight.
Then I said, ‘As is written of me in the scroll,
behold, I come to do your will, O God.’”
First he says, “Sacrifices and offerings,
holocausts and sin offerings,
you neither desired nor delighted in.”
These are offered according to the law.
Then he says, “Behold, I come to do your will.”
He takes away the first to establish the second.
By this “will,” we have been consecrated
through the offering of the Body of Jesus Christ once for all.
From the Gospel according to Luke
1:26-38
The angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,
of the house of David,
and the virgin’s name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said,
“Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”
But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her,
“Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.
Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his Kingdom there will be no end.”
But Mary said to the angel,
“How can this be,
since I have no relations with a man?”
And the angel said to her in reply,
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the child to be born
will be called holy, the Son of God.
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,
has also conceived a son in her old age,
and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
for nothing will be impossible for God.”
Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word.”
Then the angel departed from her.
The Annunciation, recounted at the beginning of St Luke’s Gospel, is a humble, hidden event – no one saw it, no one except Mary knew of it -, but at the same time it was crucial to the history of humanity. When the Virgin said her "yes" to the Angel’s announcement, Jesus was conceived and with him began the new era of history that was to be ratified in Easter as the "new and eternal Covenant". In fact, Mary’s "yes" perfectly mirrors that of Christ himself when he entered the world, as the Letter to the Hebrews says, interpreting Psalm 40[39]: "As is written of me in the book, I have come to do your will, O God" (Heb 10: 7). The Son’s obedience was reflected in that of the Mother and thus, through the encounter of these two "yeses", God was able to take on a human face. This is why the Annunciation is a Christological feast as well, because it celebrates a central mystery of Christ: the Incarnation. "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord, let it be done to me according to your Word". Mary’s reply to the Angel is extended in the Church, which is called to make Christ present in history, offering her own availability so that God may continue to visit humanity with his mercy. (Benedict XVI – Angelus, 25 March 2007)
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![Judicial Watch pushes for transparency in 2023 FBI memo linking extremist risk to some Catholics – #Catholic – The conservative legal group Judicial Watch is continuing to push for more transparency around a memo targeting traditionalist Catholics, which was issued in early 2023 by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Richmond field office.The memo detailed an investigation into a purported connection between “radical traditionalist” Catholics and “the far-right white nationalist movement.” It recommended “trip wire or source development” in Catholic parishes that offer the Traditional Latin Mass and “radical traditionalist” Catholic communities online.In a federal district court hearing March 20, lawyers for Judicial Watch complained that the FBI has not been fully compliant in its release of records under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Judicial Watch filed the lawsuit against the FBI along with CatholicVote Civic Action.Although the FBI released more than 200 documents to Judicial Watch, the attorney handling the case, Meredith DiLiberto, told EWTN News they were heavily redacted. Although she said some redactions may be legitimate, “they didn’t provide any justification” for any redactions, in spite of the legal requirement that each redaction be justified.DiLiberto said “without that [justification], we really can’t narrow the issues” and determine what redactions are legitimate and what redactions should be challenged in court. She said the judge hearing the case, Judge Amir H. Ali, appeared sympathetic to the concerns raised by Judicial Watch and scheduled a status report for March 27.Judicial Watch is concerned about redactions related to “a lot of internal communication,” which DiLiberto said “is a lot of the cover-up.”“If they were to release the information, we would see kind of how intentional this was, [and] that this wasn’t [just] one or two agents,” she said.The Richmond FBI memo was initially drafted under former President Joe Biden’s administration, and DiLiberto said “we’re not surprised [the redactions] happened under the last administration,” but said the FBI “continues to withhold this information” throughout President Donald Trump’s administration.DiLiberto said the organization is disappointed because FBI Director Kash Patel had seemed “very emotionally invested” in promising more transparency. She recalled his statements at his confirmation hearing about how he would conduct himself.“There’s not been any difference,” DiLiberto said, adding that simply by following this case, “you would not have known that there was a dramatic shift in the political atmosphere.”The FBI’s National Press Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.After the memo was leaked to the public in early February 2023, the FBI retracted it and removed it from its systems for not meeting “the exacting standards of the FBI.” Over the past three years, Judicial Watch and the House Judiciary Committee have sought more information about the memo and the broader scope of the inquiry into traditionalist Catholics.This uncovered FBI surveillance of a Catholic priest for refusing to divulge information about a parishioner who was suspected of planning political violence. The priest cited priest-penitent privilege. It also uncovered that the FBI sent at least one undercover agent into a church and that the inquiry was discussed among several field offices.Several bishops criticized the memo, including Richmond Bishop Barry Knestout, who called it a “threat to religious liberty” and said lawmakers should “ensure that such offenses against the constitutionally protected free exercise of religion do not occur again.”The FBI memo focused on allegations about violent extremism that sometimes included racist or white supremacist ideas. It was assessing whether a subset of Catholics might overlap with racially motivated violent extremism.The Catholic Church rejects racism. According to the Second Vatican Council’s Gaudium et Spes: “Every type of discrimination, whether social or cultural, whether based on sex, race, color, social condition, language, or religion, is to be overcome and eradicated as contrary to God’s intent.” White nationalism directly conflicts with Catholic principles of human dignity, solidarity, justice, and the common good.In a statement prior to the hearing, Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton expressed frustration over continued redactions in documents it has received.“Why won’t this DOJ and FBI reveal the full record on one of the most notorious abuses of power under Biden — the FBI’s targeting of Catholics for their Christian religious beliefs,” Fitton said. “This concerns the First Amendment, and the Biden Justice Department’s flagrant abuse may be criminal.”](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/judicial-watch-pushes-for-transparency-in-2023-fbi-memo-linking-extremist-risk-to-some-catholics-catholic-the-conservative-legal-group-judicial-watch-is-continuing-to-push-for-more-transparency-a.jpg "Judicial Watch pushes for transparency in 2023 FBI memo linking extremist risk to some Catholics – #Catholic – The conservative legal group Judicial Watch is continuing to push for more transparency around a memo targeting traditionalist Catholics, which was issued in early 2023 by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Richmond field office.The memo detailed an investigation into a purported connection between “radical traditionalist” Catholics and “the far-right white nationalist movement.” It recommended “trip wire or source development” in Catholic parishes that offer the Traditional Latin Mass and “radical traditionalist” Catholic communities online.In a federal district court hearing March 20, lawyers for Judicial Watch complained that the FBI has not been fully compliant in its release of records under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Judicial Watch filed the lawsuit against the FBI along with CatholicVote Civic Action.Although the FBI released more than 200 documents to Judicial Watch, the attorney handling the case, Meredith DiLiberto, told EWTN News they were heavily redacted. Although she said some redactions may be legitimate, “they didn’t provide any justification” for any redactions, in spite of the legal requirement that each redaction be justified.DiLiberto said “without that [justification], we really can’t narrow the issues” and determine what redactions are legitimate and what redactions should be challenged in court. She said the judge hearing the case, Judge Amir H. Ali, appeared sympathetic to the concerns raised by Judicial Watch and scheduled a status report for March 27.Judicial Watch is concerned about redactions related to “a lot of internal communication,” which DiLiberto said “is a lot of the cover-up.”“If they were to release the information, we would see kind of how intentional this was, [and] that this wasn’t [just] one or two agents,” she said.The Richmond FBI memo was initially drafted under former President Joe Biden’s administration, and DiLiberto said “we’re not surprised [the redactions] happened under the last administration,” but said the FBI “continues to withhold this information” throughout President Donald Trump’s administration.DiLiberto said the organization is disappointed because FBI Director Kash Patel had seemed “very emotionally invested” in promising more transparency. She recalled his statements at his confirmation hearing about how he would conduct himself.“There’s not been any difference,” DiLiberto said, adding that simply by following this case, “you would not have known that there was a dramatic shift in the political atmosphere.”The FBI’s National Press Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.After the memo was leaked to the public in early February 2023, the FBI retracted it and removed it from its systems for not meeting “the exacting standards of the FBI.” Over the past three years, Judicial Watch and the House Judiciary Committee have sought more information about the memo and the broader scope of the inquiry into traditionalist Catholics.This uncovered FBI surveillance of a Catholic priest for refusing to divulge information about a parishioner who was suspected of planning political violence. The priest cited priest-penitent privilege. It also uncovered that the FBI sent at least one undercover agent into a church and that the inquiry was discussed among several field offices.Several bishops criticized the memo, including Richmond Bishop Barry Knestout, who called it a “threat to religious liberty” and said lawmakers should “ensure that such offenses against the constitutionally protected free exercise of religion do not occur again.”The FBI memo focused on allegations about violent extremism that sometimes included racist or white supremacist ideas. It was assessing whether a subset of Catholics might overlap with racially motivated violent extremism.The Catholic Church rejects racism. According to the Second Vatican Council’s Gaudium et Spes: “Every type of discrimination, whether social or cultural, whether based on sex, race, color, social condition, language, or religion, is to be overcome and eradicated as contrary to God’s intent.” White nationalism directly conflicts with Catholic principles of human dignity, solidarity, justice, and the common good.In a statement prior to the hearing, Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton expressed frustration over continued redactions in documents it has received.“Why won’t this DOJ and FBI reveal the full record on one of the most notorious abuses of power under Biden — the FBI’s targeting of Catholics for their Christian religious beliefs,” Fitton said. “This concerns the First Amendment, and the Biden Justice Department’s flagrant abuse may be criminal.”")
![Pakistan Christian prisoners rebuild lives after church bombings #Catholic LAHORE, Pakistan — Every year during Lent, Sunil Masih remembers his elder brother as churches in Youhanabad — Lahore’s largest squatter settlement for poor Christians — mark the anniversary of the 2015 church bombings.The four Catholic brothers were among more than 150 Christians arrested by police days after twin suicide attacks on St. John’s Catholic Church and Christ Church on March 15, 2015, which killed at least 19 people and injured hundreds. The attacks were claimed by Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, an offshoot of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan.The bombings sparked mob violence that mistakenly killed two Muslim men, who were later identified and detained through raids and video evidence.
Sunil Masih stands beside his vegetable cart in front of his family’s former
milk shop in Youhanabad, Lahore, Pakistan, on March 15, 2025. | Credit:
Kamran Chaudhry
Masih, now 28, said the trauma of prison changed him forever.“They hurled abuses at us, beat us with strips cut from vehicle tires, and in jail we were given old dried roti [flat bread],” he told EWTN News. “Water from the greasy toilet taps was served for drinking. Family meetings were allowed only after a month. It was a hellhole on earth.”He and his brother Sadaqat Perwaiz — popularly known as Monty — were released after six months in Central Jail Lahore. One brother, however, remained among 42 Christians and one Muslim charged in the lynching case.Devastation beyond prisonThe protracted court proceedings devastated the family’s four-decade-old milk business, saddled them with mounting debts, and forced the sale of their 680-square-foot home.Their worries deepened after two Christian inmates, Inderyas Masih, 36, and Usman Shaukat, 29, died in custody under suspicious circumstances during the trial. Police claimed tuberculosis and a heart attack, respectively, while families and the British Pakistani Christian Association reported bruises and unexplained injuries.
Pakistani police stand guard outside St. John’s Catholic Church in
Youhanabad, Lahore, on March 15, 2025. Posters of Servant of God Akash Bashir flank the entrance gate on the 10th anniversary of twin suicide bombings that struck the neighborhood. | Credit: Kamran Chaudhry
In January 2020, an anti-terrorism court acquitted the remaining 39 accused after blood money (Diyat) of 25 million rupees ($89,800) was paid to the victims’ families by Pastor Anwar Fazal, a prominent Christian televangelist.Under the Qisas and Diyat Ordinance 1990, introduced during Gen. Ziaul Haq’s Islamization process, courts calculate compensation based on the financial capacity of the convict and the victim’s heirs, with a minimum value linked to 30,630 grams of silver.Monty died of a heart attack in 2022, leaving behind two children aged 10 and 14. His faded poster still hangs in front of the family’s closed milk shop.“He was a stout man, known for his strong community ties and friendly nature in our neighborhood. Prison left him very lean and weakened by an infection that caused his legs to swell beneath the knees and bleed,” Masih said.Today, Sunil Masih sells vegetables from a wooden cart in front of the same shop, now leased to a real estate dealer. He hopes to marry once his new business stabilizes.‘The gift of a hero’On March 15, police guarded churches in Youhanabad, which houses more than 150,000 Christians, as the community observed the 11th bombing anniversary.At St. John’s, parishioners lit candles and placed flowers beneath a banner honoring Akash Bashir, the 20-year-old security volunteer who died preventing a suicide bomber from entering the church during that Sunday Mass.“Salute and gratitude to the martyrs of Youhanabad,” read the banner near the Marian grotto. In January 2022, the Vatican recognized Bashir as a servant of God, making him the first Pakistani Catholic on the path to canonization.
Father Akram Javed (fifth from right), parish priest of St. John’s Catholic Church, lights a memorial candle for Servant of God Akash Bashir at a commemoration in Youhanabad, Lahore, Pakistan, on March 15, 2025. |
Credit: Kamran Chaudhry
Father Akram Javed, parish priest of St. John’s, thanked police for security.“A group of 30 local volunteers carry on Akash’s mission, protecting the church and worshippers. The bombings were a terrible tragedy, but in that darkness, we received the gift of a hero,” he told EWTN News.‘The bombing was a national tragedy’Pentecostal politician Aslam Pervaiz Sahotra, who spent five years in prison, sees the anniversary as a moment of reflection for Pakistan’s 3.3 million Christians, many of whom continue to face discrimination, economic hardship, and lingering trauma.
A man prays outside a church in Youhanabad, Lahore, Pakistan, on March 15, 2025, during commemorations marking the anniversary of the twin suicide bombings. Banners honoring Akash Bashir are visible in the background. | Credit: Kamran Chaudhry
“The bombing was a national tragedy from which the authorities learnt nothing. We continue to suffer losses due to terrorism, with sporadic attacks targeting minority communities and security forces,” said the 65-year-old head of the Massiha Millat Party (Christian Nation Party).He alleged prison authorities tried to manipulate him, introducing Muslim prisoners to persuade him to stay passive.“Despite back pain from four displaced vertebrae, my time in prison strengthened my faith and resolve for activism. The trend of arresting Christians for alleged blasphemy to appease angry crowds will continue unless investigations are conducted on merit,” he added.
Pakistani bishops demand probe into death of Christian farmworker
The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, in its 2025 annual report, said religious freedom in Pakistan continued to deteriorate, recommending it be designated a “country of particular concern,” citing blasphemy-related prosecutions, mob violence, and forced conversions targeting Christians and other minorities, and a growing climate of fear and impunity.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/pakistan-christian-prisoners-rebuild-lives-after-church-bombings-catholic-lahore-pakistan-every-year-during-lent-sunil-masih-remembers-his-elder-brother-as-churches-in-youhanabad.jpg)
![Yad Vashem chief: Holocaust memory is key to fighting antisemitism #Catholic Dani Dayan, chairman of Yad Vashem, said that remembering and honoring the Holocaust is essential to combating rising antisemitism worldwide.Dayan, who met with Pope Leo XIV on March 23 together with Israel’s ambassador to the Holy See, Yaron Sideman, said their conversation focused on “two issues: the historical remembrance, the need to remember, to know about the Holocaust — but not just for the sake of history, also for the sake of the present and the sake of the future.”We have to make sure that an “atrocity like this cannot happen again — not to the Jewish people, not to any other people,” he said.He added that antisemitism is “raising its ugly head again all over the world” and that the two issues are closely linked.“I think that knowing about the Holocaust, learning about the Holocaust, remembering, honoring the Holocaust is one of the tools to combat antisemitism,” Dayan said.‘Antisemitism is bigotry’Asked whether Israeli policy risks fueling antisemitism, Dayan rejected the premise.“I think antisemitism should not have palliative reasons. Antisemitism is bigotry, antisemitism is racism, and it’s completely independent of anything that Israel does or does not,” he said.He described antisemitism as a unifying force among otherwise opposed extremist groups.“In many sectors in the world, antisemitism has become the common denominator, the lingua franca of all the extremists in the world — left-wing extremists, right-wing extremists, religious extremists, Islamist extremists, and many others,” he said.“They hate each other on any other issue… [but] they don’t only agree, they even collaborate.”“Antisemitism should not be understood. It should be combated without any reservation,” he added, noting he found “full agreement” with Pope Leo XIV on the point.Memory, politics, and responsibilityDayan emphasized the distinction between Holocaust remembrance and contemporary political debates.“The policy and Holocaust remembrance are two completely different things,” he said, while noting that the Holocaust remains “omnipresent in the back of our minds” for many Jews and continues to shape collective identity.He said the obligation to remember the Holocaust is “threefold”: for the future, to build a world free of bigotry and genocide; for the present, amid resurging antisemitism; and as a moral duty to the victims.“Six million victims that were massacred by Nazi Germany and its collaborators during the Shoah deserve to be remembered,” he said. “It’s a debt that we have to maintain.”A shared history and a future visit?Reflecting on relations between the Catholic Church and the Jewish people, Dayan pointed to the significance of papal visits to Yad Vashem.He presented Pope Leo XIV with a painting by Jewish artist Carol Deutsch, created during the Shoah, depicting the biblical question “Adam, where are you?”He linked the image to Pope Francis’ address at Yad Vashem, in which the late pope asked: “Where was humanity?”Dayan expressed hope that Pope Leo XIV would visit Yad Vashem in the future, “when circumstances allow it.”‘Peace is an imperative’Asked about the role of believers in promoting peace, Dayan said the memory of the Holocaust underscores the urgency of that mission.“To yearn for it and to act for it,” he said. “Learning about the Holocaust… is one of the greatest motivations a person can have to understand that peace is an imperative.”He acknowledged that he once believed the devastation of World War II and the Holocaust would end war and antisemitism.“Unfortunately… I was very naive in that respect. We have to work harder, all of us, in order to make that a reality in the future,” he said.This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/yad-vashem-chief-holocaust-memory-is-key-to-fighting-antisemitism-catholic-dani-dayan-chairman-of-yad-vashem-said-that-remembering-and-honoring-the-holocaust-is-essential-to-combating-rising-antis-scaled.jpg "Yad Vashem chief: Holocaust memory is key to fighting antisemitism #Catholic Dani Dayan, chairman of Yad Vashem, said that remembering and honoring the Holocaust is essential to combating rising antisemitism worldwide.Dayan, who met with Pope Leo XIV on March 23 together with Israel’s ambassador to the Holy See, Yaron Sideman, said their conversation focused on “two issues: the historical remembrance, the need to remember, to know about the Holocaust — but not just for the sake of history, also for the sake of the present and the sake of the future.”We have to make sure that an “atrocity like this cannot happen again — not to the Jewish people, not to any other people,” he said.He added that antisemitism is “raising its ugly head again all over the world” and that the two issues are closely linked.“I think that knowing about the Holocaust, learning about the Holocaust, remembering, honoring the Holocaust is one of the tools to combat antisemitism,” Dayan said.‘Antisemitism is bigotry’Asked whether Israeli policy risks fueling antisemitism, Dayan rejected the premise.“I think antisemitism should not have palliative reasons. Antisemitism is bigotry, antisemitism is racism, and it’s completely independent of anything that Israel does or does not,” he said.He described antisemitism as a unifying force among otherwise opposed extremist groups.“In many sectors in the world, antisemitism has become the common denominator, the lingua franca of all the extremists in the world — left-wing extremists, right-wing extremists, religious extremists, Islamist extremists, and many others,” he said.“They hate each other on any other issue… [but] they don’t only agree, they even collaborate.”“Antisemitism should not be understood. It should be combated without any reservation,” he added, noting he found “full agreement” with Pope Leo XIV on the point.Memory, politics, and responsibilityDayan emphasized the distinction between Holocaust remembrance and contemporary political debates.“The policy and Holocaust remembrance are two completely different things,” he said, while noting that the Holocaust remains “omnipresent in the back of our minds” for many Jews and continues to shape collective identity.He said the obligation to remember the Holocaust is “threefold”: for the future, to build a world free of bigotry and genocide; for the present, amid resurging antisemitism; and as a moral duty to the victims.“Six million victims that were massacred by Nazi Germany and its collaborators during the Shoah deserve to be remembered,” he said. “It’s a debt that we have to maintain.”A shared history and a future visit?Reflecting on relations between the Catholic Church and the Jewish people, Dayan pointed to the significance of papal visits to Yad Vashem.He presented Pope Leo XIV with a painting by Jewish artist Carol Deutsch, created during the Shoah, depicting the biblical question “Adam, where are you?”He linked the image to Pope Francis’ address at Yad Vashem, in which the late pope asked: “Where was humanity?”Dayan expressed hope that Pope Leo XIV would visit Yad Vashem in the future, “when circumstances allow it.”‘Peace is an imperative’Asked about the role of believers in promoting peace, Dayan said the memory of the Holocaust underscores the urgency of that mission.“To yearn for it and to act for it,” he said. “Learning about the Holocaust… is one of the greatest motivations a person can have to understand that peace is an imperative.”He acknowledged that he once believed the devastation of World War II and the Holocaust would end war and antisemitism.“Unfortunately… I was very naive in that respect. We have to work harder, all of us, in order to make that a reality in the future,” he said.This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.")
,_Parque_natural_de_la_Arr%C3%A1bida,_Portugal,_2020-07-21,_DD_62.jpg)
![‘Todo es posible en Cristo’: el grupo EPIC transforma la vida de jóvenes en San Antonio de Padua #Catholic - Un ministerio juvenil de la Diócesis de Paterson reúne cada semana a más de cuarenta jóvenes adultos que buscan algo más que una reunión: buscan una familia.
Cada semana, en la parroquia San Antonio de Padua, un grupo de jóvenes adultos se reúne para orar, compartir su fe y crecer juntos. El ministerio EPIC —siglas en inglés de Everything’s Possible in Christ, Todo es posible en Cristo— ha crecido desde sus humildes comienzos hasta convertirse en uno de los espacios juveniles más vivos de la Diócesis de Paterson, reuniendo a jóvenes de distintas ciudades e incluso de otros estados.
Las reuniones semanales combinan reflexión de fe, estudio bíblico y oración, pero con el tiempo se han convertido en algo más difícil de definir con palabras: un lugar donde los jóvenes pueden llegar con sus preguntas, su historia y su búsqueda, sin sentirse juzgados. El grupo también organiza actividades recreativas —entre ellas, un reciente viaje de esquí— que refuerzan los lazos de comunidad fuera del ambiente parroquial.
Un fuego que no quería apagar
Para Danquiewiez González, todo comenzó con un retiro espiritual y una experiencia que no supo cómo ignorar.
“Sentí el fuego del amor de Dios en mi corazón”, recuerda. “Después de que terminó el retiro, no quería que ese fuego se apagara dentro de mí, por eso decidí integrarme al grupo EPIC para seguir conociendo más de Dios y fortalecer mi fe.”
Desde entonces, su participación en la parroquia no ha hecho sino crecer. Hoy sirve como proclamador en la misa y habla de su fe con una claridad que él mismo atribuye a ese momento de gracia. “Ahora veo la vida desde otro punto de vista. Todo esto nace porque Dios está en mi corazón y quiero servirle con alegría.”
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Jonathan Moran llegó al grupo con un deseo parecido: volver a acercarse a su fe y encontrar acompañamiento en el camino. Lo que encontró fue eso y algo más. “Desde que me uní al grupo he recibido muchos recursos útiles y he conocido personas dispuestas a ayudarme en mi proceso de discernimiento”, cuenta.
Entre las experiencias que más lo han marcado está el retiro del grupo. Para describir lo que vivieron aquellos días, Jonathan recurre a las palabras del Salmo 133: “ ¡Qué bueno y agradable; es que los hermanos vivan unidos!”
Un regreso inesperado
Brenda Marte creció dentro de la Iglesia. Pero como les ocurre a muchos jóvenes, los años universitarios la alejaron de la práctica de la fe. Fue una experiencia personal de conversión la que despertó en ella el deseo de regresar.
Un día vio en el boletín parroquial el anuncio de un retiro para jóvenes adultos. Decidió ir. Esa decisión, aparentemente pequeña, marcó el inicio de una nueva etapa.
“He hecho amistades centradas en Dios. Mi vida ha cambiado para mejor”, dice hoy, con la sencillez de quien habla desde la convicción, no desde el entusiasmo del momento. Su compromiso ha ido creciendo: actualmente es catequista del primer año de confirmación y participa en la comunidad misionera Shalom en Nueva York.
Lo que más valora del grupo son las horas santas ante el Santísimo Sacramento. “Hay algo muy especial en estar frente a Jesús en el Santísimo con todos tus amigos. Saber que hay tantos jóvenes buscando a Dios y que tenemos ese apoyo mutuo es algo muy hermoso.”
Construir una familia, no solo un grupo
Detrás del crecimiento de EPIC hay personas que han invertido tiempo y corazón en construir algo que va más allá de un programa parroquial.
Kenneth Acevedo, uno de los coordinadores, describe su experiencia en EPIC como algo profundamente significativo en su vida. Al reflexionar sobre su participación en el ministerio, explica que formar parte del grupo ya era una experiencia muy valiosa, pero asumir el servicio de coordinación ha sido aún más especial. En sus palabras: “Ser parte de EPIC ha sido verdaderamente gratificante, pero ser coordinador ha sido una de las mejores experiencias de mi vida.”
Según comenta, el grupo ha crecido en los últimos años y hoy reúne a jóvenes adultos de diferentes ciudades e incluso de otros estados. El objetivo del ministerio, explica, es ofrecer un espacio donde los jóvenes puedan sentirse escuchados y acompañados en su camino de fe. Con ese propósito, añade: “Hemos creado un lugar donde los jóvenes adultos pueden venir sin sentirse juzgados ni solos.”
Jessica Álvarez recuerda los comienzos, cuando en algunas reuniones apenas se juntaban unas pocas personas. Hoy no es raro ver más de cuarenta jóvenes reunidos en una sola noche. Para ella, ese crecimiento no se explica con estrategias de comunicación ni programas atractivos, sino con algo más simple: el calor humano de la acogida en Cristo. “Nos esforzamos por tratar a cada persona como un miembro de nuestra familia.”
Y a esa familia, los coordinadores extienden una invitación abierta a cualquier joven adulto que busque profundizar su fe o simplemente quiera ver si hay algo para él en este camino. Como resume Jessica: “Siempre hay un lugar para ti en nuestra familia.”
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/todo-es-posible-en-cristo-el-grupo-epic-transforma-la-vida-de-jovenes-en-san-antonio-de-padua-catholic-un-ministerio-juvenil-de-la-diocesis-de-paterson-reune-cada-semana-a-mas-de.jpg)
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